1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and, in particular, to an information processing apparatus allowing not only the streaming transfer of audio data in realtime but also the call control in calling mode.
2. Description of The Related Art
Recently, a wireless communication technology especially among various communication technologies is being in the limelight. With the wireless communication technology, the establishment of communication between and/or among electronic equipment and terminals in a wireless manner can simplify connection works between and/or among the electronic equipment and terminals and eliminate the limitation of the places where the electronic equipment and terminals are to be placed. Therefore, the use of a wireless communication technology provides higher convenience than the use of a wired communication technology.
For example, the use of a wireless LAN allows the easy construction of a network such as a home network locally and even in a place where the construction of a network cable is not realistic.
The Bluetooth(™), for example, has been known as a wireless communication technology applicable to electronic equipment. The use of the Bluetooth as a wireless communication technology may allow the transmission of audio data (music data) from an audio player containing a CD player to a speaker, for example, without via an audio cable.
Furthermore, the transfer of audio data from a mobile information terminal or mobile music player of a cellular phone, for example, to a music player such as a headset may be allowed thereby without via an audio cable.
The technical specifications of the Bluetooth may be divided into Core and Profile. The Core defines the base of wireless connection provided by the Bluetooth. On the other hand, the Profile is a set of technical requirements defined for each function or equipment for guaranteeing the mutual connectivity between equipment when functions and (or) applications developed based on the Core of the Bluetooth are (is) built in the equipment.
The Bluetooth has multiple Profiles and provides one application including a combination of the Profiles. In reality, a combination of profiles providing an application may be implemented in a product along with the Core.
Various Bluetooth Profiles may be assumed such as profiles relating to a cellular phone, a personal computer, a vehicle, a network and a printer and audio and video Profiles.
As a profile for the transmission of audio data, “Advanced Audio Distribution Profile” (Advanced Audio/Video Distribution Profile (Bluetooth SIG), Internet URL: [http://www.bluetooth.org/bluetooth/]) and “Generic Advanced Audio/Video Distribution Profile” (Generic Advanced Audio/Video Distribution Profile (Bluetooth SIG), Internet URL: [http://www.bluetooth.org/bluetooth/]) have been known, for example. These are specifications for performing the streaming transfer of audio data in realtime between/among Bluetooth-connected equipment.
On the other hand, as a profile for the call control in calling mode, “Hands Free Profile” (Hands Free Profile (Bluetooth SIG), Internet URL:    [http://www.bluetooth.org/bluetooth/]) has been known, for example. This is the specification for performing call control processing (including a series of steps of connection request, call, response, talk and disconnection) in calling mode by a phone between a cellular phone and a terminal (such as a headset) compliant with wireless communication so as to allow hands-free talking from the terminal.
However, the profiles proposed in Non-Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not clearly define the connection operations between both sides though the profiles separately define each of the realtime streaming transfer of audio data and call control in calling mode, for example.
In other words, the retransmission of a packet having failed in communication is recommended with an acceptable realtime level on the playback (playing) side since the real time characteristic on the playback side such as a terminal is required in the procedure of retransmission in the streaming transfer of audio data in real time, which is defined by the profile for transmission of audio data. On the other hand, the retransmission of packet having failed in communication until the communication succeeds is recommended since the realtime characteristic in a terminal is not required very much, but no data (or packet) dropping is required conversely in the procedure of retransmission in the call control in calling mode, which is defined by the profile for call control in calling mode.
Furthermore, the procedure for retransmission cannot be implemented in accordance with each profile since the procedure for retransmission defined by one profile is required to adopt in an operation with the connection between the two profiles for audio data transmission and the profile for call control in calling mode.